<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Australian government has launched the first national strategy to improve the lives of people with autism.&nbsp;
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Amanda Rishworth, the minister for Social Services, on Tuesday unveiled the first National Autism Strategy, promising improved inclusion, support and life outcomes for all autistic Australians, Xinhua news agency reported.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The 42.3 million Australian dollar ($26.1 million) plan includes 22 commitments on four key reform areas.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Of the funding, 19.9 million Australian dollars over four years will go toward a peer support program that will provide lived-experience knowledge, empathy and culturally tailored advice to autistic people.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Another 12.2 million Australian dollars will fund a new body that will translate autism-related research into evidence-based tools and guidance for service providers and policymakers.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The government will also spend 2.8 million Australian dollars funding a study to find the true prevalence of autism in Australia.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">"Addressing the barriers autistic people face in areas like education, employment and diagnosis is long overdue and we are proud to deliver a strategy that will change lives for the better," Rishworth said in a statement.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">According to the Department of Social Services, there are an estimated 290,000 Australians with an autism diagnosis though the strategy says the true number is likely much higher.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Autistic Australians are six times more likely to be unemployed than the general population and two to three times more likely to die early.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">5% of autistic Australians have a university bachelor's degree compared to 20% of all people with a disability and 35% of people without disability.
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The strategy was built by the government in collaboration with autistic people and the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council.<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Clare Gibellini, co-chair of the National Autism Strategy Oversight Council, said that the strategy recognises that people with autism have additional support needs. (1 Australian dollar equals $0.62)<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;
<span style="font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #001e2f; background: white; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&mdash;IANS

Autistic people face barrier in their daily life in areas such as education, employment & diagnosis

Australia to Launch Strategy For Ppl with Autism

Autistic people face barrier in their daily life in areas such as education, employment & diagnosis

January 14, 2025 | 12:56 IST